In July, Luxembourg presented the contents of its 2030 Agenda in New York, at the United Nations conference on the 17 sustainable development goals. Luxembourg’s agenda focuses on four challenges arising from these goals that are relevant for the country: dynamic demographic development, the diversity of the resident working population, the economy’s heavy dependence on one sector and the pressures on the environment and climate in a globalised world.
In view of these challenges, the report drafted by the Commission interdépartementale de développement durable (Interdepartmental Sustainable Development Commission) defines six priority fields of action:
- Ensure social inclusion and an education for all, in order to enable a very large section of the population to participate in society;
- Plan and coordinate land use, in order to meet the increasing need for housing and ensure the protection of natural resources and biodiversity;
- Ensure sustainable mobility to curb the negative impact of traffic on climate change, land use and economic competitiveness;
- Stop the degradation of the environment in order to safeguard natural heritage and ensure the proper functioning of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems;
- Diversify the economy, in order to avoid the negative effects of a major shock in one sector;
- Protect the climate, so assume responsibilities in the context of the Paris agreement by reducing greenhouse gases.
Photo: © MAEE